Turn The World (Against Us)
by AsreonInfusion
Summary: Cloud is the mercenary hired to kill Sephiroth, one in a long line sent on such a suicidal mission. But the chemistry between him and his supposed enemy could be his downfall... or the only thing to save him.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Inspired by Kizunatsudoishi saying the song Love Ya by SS501 provoked a need for some drama/suspense Sefikura. I listened and agreed. So then this happened.

Very cliche crossdressing-for-infiltration and dramatic dancing set up, but shh. Still fun, right?

I really do want to do a second part to this where they meet again, because their chemistry is just so fun. (I've been holding off on posting this for ages, because I wanted to complete the sequel chapter and post them together, but it's taking me too long to get round to it and I got impatient. ;;) Uni is starting again now, though, so I'm not sure when that'll happen. Sometime, though.

There's no sex in this chapter, but there is some pretty heavy making out later on. The sex will come in the next chapter. ;p

* * *

It had been a long time; a decade, at least. Cloud wasn't that stupid, naïve kid anymore, dreaming of SOLDIER and of Sephiroth. Real life had a way of messing up childhood dreams. ShinRa had a way of messing up people's lives.

They had no one to blame but themselves.

Cloud could hear the strains of music as he stalked down the lifeless corridors of ShinRa's HQ building, heels clicking in a vicious rhythm. Only short heels – although Cloud reluctantly accepted that the outfit was required for infiltration purposes, he refused to wear anything that could potentially compromise this mission. Heels he couldn't run in would have certainly come under that category. As it was, he'd practised with the shorter kitten heels for weeks to ensure they wouldn't be a hindrance.

He was a mercenary, not a professional at wearing women's clothing, damnit.

At least the mid-length, flowing skirt allowed freedom of movement, and plenty of space to hide his weaponry. He had nothing to say about the damn bodice.

All it took was a sweet smile and a shallow excuse about getting separated from his date after having to go back to fix some makeup. The infantrymen – bored, dissatisfied, doing their job because they had to and not because they wanted to – let Cloud in without checking his identity at all.

He was late to the party. Dinner had been tidied away already, which was a slight disappointment as Cloud would have had no qualms in helping himself to ShinRa's hospitality. It wasn't like they ever extended any of it to the towns they ravaged with their reactors.

White-clothed tables lined the walls, but the central area of the huge room was empty space for people to dance. They'd even tried to replicate the feel of a dancefloor. Wooden flooring, huge chandeliers cascading like glass teardrops from the ceiling.

It would have been impressive if Cloud hadn't just walked through the rest of the building to get there. As it was, the sheer contrast, how damnfake the whole thing was, only highlighted ShinRa's hypocrisy.

Cloud scanned the swirls of ShinRa personal in all their obnoxious finery. He was only there for one reason, and the sooner he got it over with and got the hell out, the better.

Sephiroth.

He wasn't too hard to spot – he wore black leather trousers, like always, but with a tailored dress shirt that was halfway open, and that hair was incredibly distinctive even tied back in a high ponytail. Fuck. Cloud had never seen Sephiroth with his hair up in any of his news appearances or promotional images. It was…

Gorgeous.

Cloud's hand clenched, digging into the layers of his skirts and finding the hilt of knife buried deep within. "I hate you," he muttered to himself.

Sephiroth was ShinRa's power, the keystone of their defence. Take him out, and ShinRa was vulnerable. After that, there were plenty of others who would take the company down, circling like vultures to pick apart the remains. Cloud's job was this, and this alone.

He stepped onto the dancefloor. The music was unfamiliar to him – there was a live orchestra, though it seemed to be mostly strings and a lone piano. The violins played low and dramatic, mixing with too much of a beat to be truly classical. Cloud breathed in and let the music lead him to his target.

Cloud integrated himself easily, moving from partner to partner as they spun across the floor. His heels clicked in time to the beat, shimmering blue skirts swirling with his dramatic, fluid movements. Cloud smiled, but it never once reached his eyes.

He was attracting attention, but that didn't matter. He needed to attract Sephiroth's attention, and he couldn't do that without the collateral. They would all know him. He wasn't going to be able to leave this building alive.

But neither was Sephiroth.

A old, sleazy executive in a hideously green suit spun Cloud around, and Cloud delicately extracted himself before the man could get his hands back on him and try to dip him. He spun directly into Sephiroth.

"I would avoid dancing too long with Heidegger," Sephiroth murmured. "He has little concept of subtlety or decency, especially around pretty things like you."

Cloud's breath caught for a moment. Just nerves – this was it, this was exactly the moment he had been waiting for. He stepped back, falling automatically into the same hold he'd been using all evening.

He couldn't help but raise himself higher on his heels, eyes narrowing at Sephiroth even as he gave him one of those fake smiles that was starting to ache from overuse. "I can take care of myself."

"No offence meant. I do not doubt you can, but you should not have to."

The music swelled again, and neither felt inclined to continue the conversation. Sephiroth led them into the new dance; his movements seemed skilled, well-practiced, but Cloud could tell he was only going through the motions. Likely Sephiroth had been as forced into this situation as Cloud had.

If neither of them were going to survive this night, they might as well make the most of it.

Sephiroth was near a head taller than Cloud – good, he didn't have to look the man in the eyes. His eyeline was firmly at Sephiroth's adam's apple, gaze dropping to the line of his collarbones and the incredible definition of that chest. He wore his shirt open on purpose, Cloud was sure of it.

Cloud was staring; mentally marking the spot where he would sink a knife into Sephiroth's heart. And in the meantime, he matched every one of Sephiroth's movements with added flair. Like a challenge, like he could throw out every ounce of doubt and fear in the flick of his arms, the point of his feet in those dumb heels.

His skirts wrapped between Sephiroth's legs, his hand was on Sephiroth's shoulder and Sephiroth's leather-gloved hand was around Cloud's waist. Cloud's heart was pounding in his chest. He couldn't meet Sephiroth's eyes, even as the final notes of the song faded out and Sephiroth held Cloud in a dip, his other hand cradling the back of Cloud's head.

"What are you thinking?" Sephiroth asked quietly. He tilted Cloud's chin up, and for one moment those mako green eyes bored into Cloud's, like they could see straight through his disguise and into his soul. It was only a fraction of a second, but it felt like forever before Cloud could pull himself away from the hypnotising gaze.

Cloud didn't answer, feeling too shaky to speak, only stepped them into the next dance.

He didn't even know what he was thinking. His thoughts were all over the place, heart rate and breathing erratic. He'd thought he could do this. Sephiroth represented ShinRa, and all the bad that they did to the world, to the people who lived there, to Cloud. He hated him. He hated him. He had looked up to him when he was younger – how many hours of life had he fucking wasted watching every little news snippet over and over again, collecting every interview, cutting out pictures to put on his wall, pretending that if he just triedhard enough – ha – he could become a SOLDIER and met Sephiroth in person.

"Sephiroth." It was spoken as an accusation. But Cloud wanted to say his name again, just once.

Cloud's back slammed against the wall, Sephiroth's hands on either side of his waist, looming over him. Cloud hadn't even noticed Sephiroth guiding them away from the main dancefloor and into a much less populated, dark corner.

"Wha–?" Cloud made a choked noise of surprise as Sephiroth reached down and tore the fabric of his skirt down the side seam. Gloved fingertips brushed against Cloud's thigh, and Cloud jolted. He felt the touch like electricity, hyperaware and trapped as he was.

Sephiroth yanked Cloud's knife from where it had been strapped against him and pressed the point of it to Cloud's jaw. "Did you really think that I would fall for such a blatant display?"

Cloud snapped back to himself, eyes narrowing, lips pressing together.

"I had figured I was probably going to die tonight either way. I was hoping to take you down with me."

Sephiroth smirked. "How romantic."

Cloud flared up indignantly, even though he could feel the heat rushing to face at such an accusation. "This isn't about you. Like I give a shit. It's my fucking job, because some of us have no choice but to take up mercenary and assassination work when your damn company wrecks our entire fucking lives."

"Why bother, if you are so certain you would either not succeed, or be detained if you did?"

"…if I don't make it back, my mom gets the deposit money for the attempt. If I do succeed, I have enough to make a new start. Not that it even matters toyou."

Sephiroth lowered the blade and spun it, offering the hilt to Cloud. "Fight me."

"What?"

"Come to one of the training rooms, and I will fight you. A fair fight, one on one."

Cloud snorted. "You're a mako-enhanced SOLDIER elite, a one on one fight with you is hardly fair."

Sephiroth smiled, seeming amused as he absently brushed aside one of Cloud's bangs that had fallen into his face during their dance. "Very well. If you land a blow on me, you're free to go. There will no reprisals for your actions tonight. If you fail to do so, I will hand you over to security."

It felt patronising, like Sephiroth was just toying with him. But Sephiroth was so much more powerful than him. Cloud didn't have much of a choice, unless he really did want to go out in a pointless, utterly foolish blaze of glory.

He took the knife and dropped it to his side. "Fine."

Sephiroth took Cloud's other hand in the palm of his own, as if asking him to dance once more. But instead of returning to the dancefloor, Sephiroth lead them out of room, down the darkened corridors and away from everyone.

Cloud was alone with Sephiroth, deep in the deserted hallways of the ShinRa building. Sephiroth could turn around and kill him at any moment, and Cloud had no witnesses, no backup, no hope. Anyone who had seen them leave would likely assume Sephiroth had other purposes for seeking privacy with a pretty blonde, especially after how intensely they had been dancing together.

The mental image of it flashed through Cloud's mind; of being pinned against the wall, kept in place by Sephiroth's body pressing against his, Sephiroth tearing through his skirts again, Sephiroth's mouth against his own, hot and insistent and–

Cloud huffed a breath, furious at himself.

But Sephiroth did none of it, murder or otherwise. He took them to one of the SOLDIER's virtual reality training rooms, just as he had promised.

"Would you prefer a different weapon? There are some standard issue SOLDIER swords, if you wish, or we can find–"

"I'll take a sword," Cloud interrupted. He did precisely that, pushing past Sephiroth to choose his own from the small collection that had been put aside. They were only practice swords, perhaps intended for impromptu sparring where the SOLDIERs had not brought their own, and although their condition was useable, they could not be given any higher compliment than that.

Cloud went through a couple, weighing them in his hand and trying to find one with the most familiar balance. He had dreamed about using one of these. Of course, he'd dreamed more about becoming a First Class and having his own signature sword, but he would have used one of the standard swords as a Third and Second, and he had looked forward to that too.

But that had been a long time ago.

Cloud picked his sword. Sephiroth had Masamune – and heavens knew where he'd got that from, maybe those rumours about the sword being a summon really did have some weight – and had removed his dress shirt, leaving him naked from waist up. He still had that damn ponytail in.

Cloud's heart rate spiked again. Fine. He took a deep, steadying breath, begrudgingly admitting to himself that Sephiroth was… the hottest thing he had ever seen. It was just a shame such an otherworldly, gorgeous man had to be part of ShinRa.

There was nothing Cloud could do about the dress, but he kicked off his shoes. Even with only short heels, he wasn't going to risk fighting in them.

Sephiroth didn't bother utilising the virtual reality function. They faced each other in the centre of the featureless metal training area, swords at the ready. Sephiroth nodded.

They flew at each other, and it was just like their dance all over again. Cloud was damn good with a sword; he'd never got much in the way of official training, but he'd had years and years of practice just in learning to survive. He was fast, and vicious.

But so was Sephiroth.

Their swords clashed; they spun apart, came back together. Masamune grazed Cloud's shoulder, but he rolled out of the way and immediately turned the movement into a slash from behind Sephiroth. Sephiroth blocked, barely needing to look, hair streaming behind him like liquid moonlight.

He was barely trying. His defense was flawless, but he didn't take advantage of the openings Cloud left like he could have. That only angered Cloud more.

Cloud moved into a flurry of slashes, smooth and well-practiced. Vertical, horizontal, two diagonal in quick succession. Sephiroth blocked all of them, but there was an impressed tilt to his smile. Cloud spun his sword and jumped, coming down directly overhead.

He hit straight into Masamune, and Sephiroth threw him to the ground. Cloud rolled, but the wind had been knocked out of him. He bounced straight back into action – too quick, he hadn't taken the time to assess the situation properly.

Sephiroth used his momentum against him, and then Cloud was on the floor again, Masamune at his throat and Sephiroth's boot pressing his chest down. The sword Cloud had been using was knocked from his hand, spinning away across the room.

Cloud scowled fiercely, more at himself than anything else. He'd been reckless; what had he even been thinking, taking Sephiroth head on like that?

A hand was offered to him, but Cloud didn't take it.

He sat halfway up, propped on his elbows. "So what now?" he asked bitterly.

"We finish, if you like. Or you can rest, then try again."

Cloud paused, suspicious. "Why would you give me another chance?"

"Your fighting style is sloppy, clearly untrained. But you are nonetheless surprisingly powerful, and your unpredictability lends a new element of interest to the battle. I like fighting you."

"I was sent here to kill you."

"A lot of people try to kill me. I don't take it personally."

Sephiroth reached out again, and this time Cloud took his hand and allowed Sephiroth to help him to his feet. Even once standing, their hands didn't release. Sephiroth's thumb brushed against Cloud's knuckles.

"It is a shame we were unable to meet under better circumstances. You have the potential to be a formidable fighter." Sephiroth paused for a moment, considering, before adding, "I also find you extremely attractive."

Cloud forgot how to breathe. His lips parted in surprise, but his chest was too constricted to let the air in. When he finally managed it, his breath came in a shuddering, furious gasp.

"You bastard. Toying with someone like that– it's cruel and pathetic. You don't know the first damn thing–!"

Sephiroth cupped Cloud's jaw, his hand sliding up to bury into the spikes of Cloud's hair. He tilted Cloud's head back and kissed him.

Cloud wanted to resist. No, he wished he wanted to. Just like he wished he didn't still look up to Sephiroth despite everything, just like he wished he wasn't left breathless and turned on from the man just touching him.

He wished he could resist, but this was everything he'd never dared to dream of.

Sephiroth's lips moving against his, his tongue stroking inside Cloud's mouth. Cradling Cloud's head with one hand, the other gripping Cloud's hip. The firm weight of Sephiroth's body flush against Cloud's – gods, he was nothing but pure muscle, pure power. Cloud groaned, low and helpless.

He was running on lust and adrenaline, but what did it even matter? He had nothing left to lose anyway. And Gaia, Sephiroth felt so good.

Cloud had one arm wrapped around Sephiroth's neck, and the other hand was shamelessly braced against Sephiroth's bare chest, fingers splayed.

They kissed, again and again until Cloud was dizzy from it. It felt like Sephiroth was devouring him, but Cloud only kissed him back with equal intensity. Sephiroth's hands dropped lower, taking two handfuls of Cloud's ass and using it to pull their hips together.

Even through the leather and layers of skirt, Cloud could feel Sephiroth's hardness grinding against him. The moan that escaped him was embarrassingly involuntary.

Wait. The skirt. "Se… Sephiroth," Cloud gasped, finally managing to pull away. "I'm not a… I mean, the dress was just…"

Sephiroth smirked and nuzzled at Cloud's throat, drawing another groan out of the blonde as he nipped at the pale skin. "Do you think I could notice your stashed armoury and not also realise the dress was only a disguise?" he purred. "It is rather cute, though."

He drew Cloud back into another bruising kiss, hands kneading Cloud's ass. Cloud made a pleased noise in the back of his throat, not minding in the slightest. He took the opportunity to feel up Sephiroth's delicious, muscular chest in return. But there was a thought struggling to break through Cloud's aroused haze – something Sephiroth had just said…

His stashed armoury. It wasn't like Cloud had had just one knife on him.

He moved like in a dream, only half aware of what he was doing. He yanked the skirt out of the way – Sephiroth purred his approval, hand moving to slide up Cloud's bared thighs and, oh Gaia, Gaia, why was Cloud even thinking of stopping this again? - but Cloud's fumbling fingers managed to latch onto a small blade he'd had tucked into the top of one of his garters.

Cloud took the blade and reached up, hand on Sephiroth's bicep, and cut a shallow slice into his flesh.

Sephiroth jerked away instinctively. For a moment, he actually seemed surprised – more surprised than actually hurt, certainly – but then the expression faded into one of amusement. He reached up and smeared the thin trail of blood with one fingertip, humming in consideration.

"Well. That was the deal. Inflict a blow, and you are free to leave."

Cloud hadn't been certain Sephiroth would allow it – the move had been underhanded at best. But Sephiroth didn't seem to hold any resentment. It was almost as if he had wanted Cloud to succeed.

Cloud took a step back. His chest was still heaving, and although he had dropped his skirts again, the dress was incredibly dishevelled and had picked up a few more tears and gashes during their spar. He was free to leave, but now he was reluctant to.

He inwardly cursed himself for not waiting a little longer. He could've made out with Sephiroth some more… how far would they have gone? Would Sephiroth have taken him right there in the middle of the training room? Would he have fucked Cloud until he screamed with the pleasure of it?

A shiver of lust ran through him at the thought. Shit. Maybe leaving was for the best after all – he couldn't go around getting involved with the enemy like that. No matter how amazing it would have been.

Cloud took a step back again, then another, distancing himself from Sephiroth. Sephiroth made no move to stop him. At least, not until Cloud turned, reaching for the door.

"What's your name?" Sephiroth asked, freezing Cloud in his tracks.

Cloud considered lying – it would be wiser, after all. But… he knew he was going to be re-imagining this moment for many nights to come, and Sephiroth probably would be too. It was incredibly self-absorbed, but Cloud wanted Sephiroth to gasp out his name when he touched himself, thinking about what might have been between them.

"It's Cloud," he said.

"Cloud," Sephiroth repeated, in that gods-damned bedroom voice that made Cloud's feel weak at the knees. "Well then, I hope we meet again sometime."

Cloud could only nod wordlessly as he backed out of the training room. He didn't bother collecting his shoes, though he did pick up the original knife Sephiroth had taken from him. As soon as he was in the corridor, safely out of sight, he took a moment to lean his weight against the wall. He was trembling, and hard as hell beneath the fluffy layers of fabric.

That had been… fuck. He'd never been more terrified in his life, or more turned on. Ten years of denial blown right out of the water. He was never going to get over his crush on Sephiroth now.

Even as Cloud gathered himself and made a beeline for a way out of the damned ShinRa building - out of enemy territory - he couldn't help but agree with Sephiroth.

He really hoped they met again.


	2. Chapter 2

Cloud crossed his arms and stared out of the train window, scowling to himself. The plate loomed above, the colossal shadows of the reactors distant through the smog.

That was their target.

It was the dead of night; the train was almost entirely deserted, and the reactor would be as well. There was a skeleton crew of overnight maintenance workers who would be there, but Barret could probably fire a round from his gun arm and send them scattering. It would be for their own good.

Jessie had created a bomb powerful enough to gut the interior of the reactor, but without causing significant damage to the outer structure. No civilian would be harmed. At least, that was the plan.

Cloud had been hired as extra security; the reactor was likely to be lightly guarded, but that just meant an easy job for him. If anyone did stand in their way, it would only be low-ranking infantry grunts. Cloud planned to knock them unconscious with the sleep materia he had equipped and leave them outside the blast zone – ShinRa was corrupt as hell, but the cannon fodder at the bottom of the chain were likely only doing what they had to do get by and try to make a better life for themselves, trapped after signing up as victims of ShinRa's propaganda. Cloud could easily have ended up being one of them, if things had gone differently.

It was the higher ranks that perpetuated ShinRa's system. The department heads, the managers. Only those who fell in line with ShinRa's worldview got those promotions – they were the ones Cloud had a problem with.

Them, and Sephiroth. He didn't think Sephiroth was in it for greed the same way, but… Cloud's fist clenched. He had a personal score with Sephiroth now. He'd just toyed with Cloud, like it was some damn game. He'd kissed him, touched him…

And Cloud had thought about it every single day since. He just couldn't get the man out of his head, and it was infuriating.

His traitorous mind replayed the images from their meeting every night in his dreams, and Cloud woke up hard and aching. He saw Sephiroth's face when he touched himself in the shower, the imaginary purr of his voice spurring Cloud on until he was on his knees with three fingers inside himself, Sephiroth's name falling from his lips.

He would stare at himself in the mirror afterwards, breathing still heavy and a pink flush of shame painting his cheeks, but eyes narrowed with determination. "It never happens," he swore to himself. There was nothing he could do to stop the fantasies, but if he ever met Sephiroth in person again, things would be different. He was a professional fucking mercenary, and this time he was going to damn well act like it.

The thought briefly crossed his mind that he might meet Sephiroth while not on a mission. What would he do then?

Probably drag him to the nearest seedy motel and let Sephiroth have his way with him however he pleased, the fact he was affiliated with ShinRa be damned.

Cloud took a deep, shuddering breath. This crush of his was pathetic. And it didn't fucking matter, not then. He had a job to do, and he was going to put all his focus on that. They couldn't afford to mess this up.

The lights on the train dimmed, the vehicle screeching to a slow halt. Wedge had got into the control room, then. In the dark it was easy to retrieve his sword – something like that stood out, so Cloud had concealed it as best he could in a duffel bag and shoved it under the seats. He swung it up onto his back with practiced ease, manually yanking open the train doors and jumping down.

By the time the lights flickered back on and the train resumed its course, they had all gathered in the tunnels, out of sight. With any luck, those on the train would simply assume it had been a power cut and think nothing of it.

"I'm glad the override code for the train worked," Jessie said, letting out a heavy breath.

Cloud shot her a smile. "'Course it did. You know the ShinRa systems better than anyone."

"Yeah," Wedge agreed. "Piece of cake."

Barret grunted. "We can celebrate once that reactor's history. Let's move out."

Cloud was familiar with the labyrinth of vents and tunnels that wound through the structure of the Plate. More than one job had sent him though here, and he'd worked on mapping the route for this mission too.

Didn't mean he liked the place. They were guided by the unnerving glow of emergency lights, barely bright enough to see more than a few feet ahead. The metal walkways dropped off into an abyss on either side, and the hum of machinery echoed like a monstrous groan.

None of them felt like speaking.

They didn't encounter anyone at all, even as they emerged into the relative freshness of the night air. The hairs on the back of Cloud's neck rose.

"This is too easy," Cloud muttered.

"You got two infantry at the door to take care of, big shot," Barret said, jerking his head towards the entrance to the reactor.

Cloud's mouth twisted up into a wry grin. "Yeah, like I said. Too easy."

The vent they had come through left them on a platform above the reactor entrance – there were stairs to the front, but Cloud didn't bother with those. He launched himself from the edge, landing directly in front of the startled guards. They fumbled with their rifles, but didn't have time to take any shots. Cloud's sword sung through the air, knocking the rifle from the first man's hands, and by the time the second had reacted, Cloud had cast the sleep materia.

Cloud moved the unconscious bodies out of the way, making sure they wouldn't be too uncomfortable. The sleep spell was a high level, and should keep them under for at least an hour.

Barret, Wedge and Jessie sprinted down the stairs to join him.

"'s that it?" Barret asked, still on guard and pointing his gun arm at nothing. He seemed to share Cloud's sentiment.

"It doesn't feel right," Cloud said. "Do you think it's a trap?"

"I'm afraid so," said a low, amused voice behind them. Cloud recognised it in an instant, and his stomach flipped.

The sword was up in front of him before he'd even finished turning around. "Sephiroth," Cloud hissed.

Sephiroth was smirking. The bastard. He was enjoying his melodramatic entrance, and that smug satisfaction just made Cloud wanted to punch his pretty face in.

Behind him, the other members of AVALANCHE likewise drew their weapons.

"I don't see anyone else," Wedge informed them quietly.

"You really think he came alone?" Jessie said.

Sephiroth interrupted smoothly, "You really think I need backup to deal with such a ragtag group of misfits?"

Cloud bristled. "You guys go ahead. I'll take care of Sephiroth."

"You got a deathwish?!" Barret said.

"I said I'll handle it."

"Damn, boy. They grow 'em crazy in Nibelheim." He clapped Cloud on the back. "Stay alive."

Jessie typed the code into the keypad, and the entrance opened. She nodded to Cloud as they barreled inside, but Cloud was too focused on Sephiroth to see. The door slid shut, and then it was just the two of them.

"What the fuck are you playing at?" Cloud spat.

Sephiroth tilted his head, but made no move to raise Masamune or attack. "I received intelligence that a group of would-be rebels were planning to attack a reactor. Of course, this had to be stopped."

"Yeah, and why are you here and not an entire security team?"

Sephiroth scoffed. "As if I'm not worth an entire army alone. You should be honoured–"

Cloud didn't care. He swung his sword, and maybe it was a clumsy strike in his impulsiveness, but he did have the element of surprise. It was only Sephiroth's inhuman reflexes that allowed him to raise Masamune in time to block.

Sephiroth laughed, and Cloud hated what that sound did to him.

"You just came to fuck with me."

"Which would you prefer, literally or metaphorically?" Sephiroth's voice was a low, suggestive purr, eyes narrowed as he smirked.

Cloud hated it. He hated the way his body betrayed him; pulse quickening, mouth dry, heat curling in his gut just at the thought of it. He hated that Sephiroth knew, and that he was using Cloud's own attraction as a weapon against him. Sephiroth was absolutely fucking with him, and Cloud hated that too.

Why couldn't he have ended up head-over-heels in lust for someone who wasn't such a gorgeous goddamn asshole? And his enemy, to boot.

"Perhaps another question. Would you prefer I came to stop you myself, or I allow an entire regiment and Turk guard hell-bent on murdering you take my place?"

"Don't try and make it sound like you're doing me a favour," Cloud spat.

"Maybe I simply wanted to fight with you again."

That, Cloud could do. He spun his sword before settling into position, mouth set into a determined scowl. "Then let's fight."

Sephiroth smiled, and then they were flying at each other. The metallic screech of their swords clashing reverberated through the reactor site.

It was stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. There was no way that Cloud could defeat Sephiroth in a one on one fight like this. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try.

He'd fought Sephiroth before, and although it wasn't much, it gave him a small idea of Sephiroth's preferred style. Not that the knowledge would help him defeat Sephiroth, since the man's technique was damn near flawless. All Cloud had to his advantage was his unpredictability.

He threw his all into it. Slashing in from the side, overhead, again and again and again. Sephiroth was there to block him every time.

Their swords bit into each other – Cloud kept pressing in regardless, trying to shove Sephiroth off balance, and for a moment they were close enough to almost touch. Leaning in, bodies barely a foot apart, only separated by the swords held near in a near vertical block between them. Cloud could feel Sephiroth's breath against his lips, the warmth radiating from him, then Sephiroth shoved him back with a kick to Cloud's chest.

Cloud grunted and fell back. He took too long to recover, head spinning, but Sephiroth didn't take advantage of the opening. Of course not. He was just toying with Cloud again, wasn't he?

Anger fuelled Cloud's next attack. He swung directly for Sephiroth's smug face, wildly, and Sephiroth easily blocked the blow.

He deflected Cloud's sword out of the way. His hand fastened around Cloud's wrist, grip like iron, and dragged Cloud back in again. Their swords clattered to the ground.

"Why won't you just kill me?" Cloud asked bitterly, breathing coming in shuddering gasps from the amount of exertion he'd throw into the fight. He wished Sephiroth would just kill him, or leave him defeated at the very least. His heart was pounding, body trembling, and Sephiroth was right there, the hard muscles of his body pressed against Cloud and not letting him go. The rush of blood, the adrenaline – Cloud told himself it was just because of the fight, just because of how hyperaware he was, that he shivered when Sephiroth's hand stroked down his spine.

"I don't want you dead," Sephiroth murmured. His voice was a soft purr, and just the tone of how he spoke to Cloud drew a soft moan from him.

"Who the hell do you think you are, toying with people like this?" Toying with his life, toying with his body, toying with his thrice-cursed traitorous heart.

Sephiroth gradually forced Cloud back, step by step. Their fight had taken them away from the open area at the reactor entrance to beneath the platform Cloud had first emerged from, and now Sephiroth shoved Cloud into a darkened corner behind the machinery that lived there. Sephiroth's eyes glowed mako-green in the dim light, his expression dark with lust.

"Who am I?" Sephiroth said, softly at first but increasing in intensity with every word. "Who are you? You, bold enough to come waltzing into ShinRa's HQ on a mission to assassinate me. You who defied me. You who have been plaguing my existence with this burning, unrelenting need tomake you mine."

It was the most uncontrolled Cloud had ever seen him – his expression, dark and vicious and wanting, but oddly sincere.

Cloud's knees and resistance buckled. His weight fell back against the wall behind him, trapped there by Sephiroth's arms at either side of him, Sephiroth's body pressing against his own, Sephiroth looming over him.

Sephiroth wanted him. Gods.

Cloud had sworn to himself it wasn't going to happen, that he wasn't going to let his lust get the better of him. But how could he fucking resist it? He wanted Sephiroth, and Sephiroth wanted him, and they were like planets trapped in each other's orbits. Their collision would be beautiful, destructive… inevitable.

He didn't know which one of them initiated the kiss, and it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Sephiroth's lips were on his, hard enough to bruise, his tongue ravaging Cloud's mouth. Cloud's clung to Sephiroth, one hand around the nape of his neck and the other on his shoulder, fingernails digging in, and he kissed back with all the need and want and aggression that had been building inside him since their last encounter. He tasted blood. He didn't know whose and he didn't care.

They were going to destroy each other, and Cloud craved every moment of it.

Sephiroth buried a hand into Cloud's hair, tight fist pulling at the spikes at the back of Cloud's head. Cloud moaned as he was yanked back, leaving his throat exposed for Sephiroth's lips and teeth and tongue. He bit down, and the delicious pleasure-pain of it sent frissions of electric heat straight to Cloud's cock.

They both clawed at each other; Cloud roughly working his hands beneath Sephiroth's leather coat and shoving it off his shoulders, Sephiroth jerking down the zip on the front of Cloud's top to leave his chest exposed.

"Sephiroth," Cloud groaned. He didn't have the brain capacity left to say anything else. His world had narrowed to nothing but heat and need andSephiroth.

Sephiroth gripped Cloud's hip and ground down against him, an action that made them both moan. Cloud was hard as hell, so turned on just from the fight, their kiss, and their volatile, utterly explosive chemistry. And he could feel Sephiroth's answering hardness pressing against him.

How had he ever managed to stop this from happening last time?

They kissed again, over and over. Some of the kisses were deep and full of passion, some of them were hateful and biting. Cloud took Sephiroth's lower lip between his teeth and tugged on it as they broke away again, drawing a noise that sounded like pure sex from Sephiroth.

Cloud's lips were bloodied and kiss-swollen, parted as he gasped for breath. Sephiroth's hands were touching him all over - running down his sides, splaying over his bared chest, massaging his scalp only to take a fistful of Cloud's hair and pull again.

"Nnn!" Cloud protested, but the sound was far too much pleasure and only spurred Sephiroth on.

"Do you even know," Sephiroth said, eyes narrowed. He paused to bite down on Cloud's neck again - Gaia, Cloud was going to have so many marks after this - sending a full-bodied shudder through the blond. "Do you know," he rasped, "all the ways I've imagined taking you."

Cloud gathered enough willpower to stare Sephiroth straight in the eye. "So do it."

A slow smirk spread across Sephiroth's face, and then Cloud was being dragged down to the floor. He didn't care. He had wanted this just as badly, and the feeling of Sephiroth's weight pinning him down into the cold metal ground only turned him on all the more. He arched up, writhing beneath Sephiroth as if he was trying to push him off, but really all he wanted–

"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelped. Sephiroth's hand was down the front of his trousers, and Cloud moaned emphatically as Sephiroth squeezed his aching erection through his underwear.

He tried to return the favour, fingers fumbling as he blindly attempted to undo the buckles and zippers of Sephiroth's leather pants. Goddamn. Why did the man have to have such ridiculously complicated clothing?

Sephiroth helped, his hand covering Cloud's as he undid his SOLDIER belts and harness.

The offending pieces of leather were tossed aside, and then Sephiroth focused on Cloud again. He deftly undid Cloud's fly, shoving Cloud's trousers down his thighs.

Cloud moaned. This was happening; he was pinned beneath Sephiroth, mostly naked and with Sephiroth's arousal pressing against his thigh. It was like something straight out of his wet dreams. "O-oh, gods."

He dragged Sephiroth back into a another series of scorching kisses. Every touch felt like it was burned into his skin. It was maddening.

It was even more maddening when Sephiroth drew away. Cloud's eyes blazed, mouth turning up into something feral, almost a snarl. Sephiroth took the tip of his glove between his teeth and yanked it off, then repeated the action. When his fingers wrapped around Cloud's cock again, it was bare skin on bare skin, and Cloud forgave him for the interruption.

He more than forgave Sephiroth when his touch moved to Cloud's ass. Sephiroth groped him, shamelessly and possessively, and Cloud hissed with pleasure. Cloud took two handfuls of Sephiroth's ass in retaliation, pulling him flush against his hips and grinding against him.

That got a groan out of Sephiroth as well.

The hand on Cloud's ass shifted until Sephiroth's fingers were rubbing at Cloud's entrance. "Ah–ahh," Cloud moaned through clenched teeth.

"Tell me you want it," Sephiroth commanded, voice rough and strained and even more arousing for it.

Cloud shot Sephiroth a feral smile, even though his eyes were utterly glazed over with lust. "W-want it? This is the– nnngh– the worst idea imaginable. But, fuck, yes. I want it."

Sephiroth made a low rumble of approval.

He drew away for just a moment, and when his fingers returned they were wet and slick. Sephiroth eased one finger inside Cloud, working him open, and Cloud bucked his hips impatiently.

"You brought lube?" Cloud questioned, choking on something halfway between and moan and a laugh.

That meant Sephiroth had been planning this. He'd known how damn weak Cloud was, how easily he'd give in. Cloud wanted to hate him for it, but, fuck, it was hard to hate the man when he had two fingers in Cloud's ass and was pressing them against all the right spots to make Cloud whimper with pleasure.

He wasn't going to just let Sephiroth get away with it.

With a growl, Cloud shoved Sephiroth off him, rolling them to the side until Sephiroth was splayed out on top of the crumpled leather coat he dropped earlier, and Cloud was straddling him.

For a moment he forgot what he was doing, struck helpless by how fucking hot it was. Sephiroth - all muscle and power wrapped in ethereal gorgeousness - laid out beneath him. Still smiling as infuriatingly smug as ever.

Cloud kicked his trousers the rest of the way off and yanked Sephiroth's down just far enough to draw out his cock. And Gaia, fuck, that was something to see. The way Sephiroth's eyes fluttered shut, the small hiss of need he let out as Cloud stroked him. The column of his throat as he tilted his head back, his broad shoulders, his chest heaving with each breath. Cloud may have technically been positioned on top of Sephiroth now, but he was just as helplessly trapped as when he had been pinned beneath him.

His hands were trembling as the picked the lube up from the ground, as he slicked Sephiroth's cock with it. Cloud's thighs were spread wide over Sephiroth's hips, Sephiroth's cock nudging against his ass.

Sephiroth grasped Cloud's hips with both hands and shoved him down on it.

Cloud moaned, loudly and brokenly. The heady rush of pleasure left him panting, back arching as he squirmed on Sephiroth's cock. "F-fuck," he sobbed.

It was good. Gods help him, he had Sephiroth's cock inside him and it felt so good. Hot and hard and filling him so deliciously, stretching Cloud open for Sephiroth's pleasure. He'd needed it so badly.

They moved together and Cloud felt like his world was shattering. He rolled his hips, rising off of Sephiroth before slamming back down. Sephiroth guided Cloud with his hands digging into Cloud's hips, thrusting up to meet Cloud every time. He was leaving his own share of marks, fingernails clawing at Sephiroth's chest. It was frenzied and brutal and Cloud loved it.

Sephiroth's eyes blazed, and then his hand shot up to covered Cloud's mouth. Cloud moaned dazedly, but muffled now.

He glowered back at Sephiroth, eyes wide with fury - why the fuck were they stopping? But the reason became evident when the reactor door opened.

Barret, Jessie, Wedge. Shit! How could he have possibly got so caught up that he'd forgotten he was on a goddamn mission?

Sephiroth rolled his hips up, slowly now, and then Cloud remembered exactly how it had slipped his mind.

They were out of the way enough to not be visible, at least unless someone was looking directly at them. Like if they heard a sound. Cloud knew it and Sephiroth knew it, but he kept slowly, torturously fucking Cloud while Cloud did his best to silence his whimpers of pleasure.

"What would you say," Sephiroth murmured to him, breathless, "if they found you now? Would you… mm, pretend like you didn't want this? Or would you tell them you begged for my cock yourself?"

Cloud could only groan in response.

"Let me aid your alibi," Sephiroth said. It was a good thing he still had his hand tight over Cloud's mouth, muffling Cloud's yelp as Sephiroth bodily picked him up and slammed him back onto the ground. He had Cloud on his elbows and knees in an instant, face and chest shoved down. Thankfully he ended up over where Sephiroth's coat was laid out, the leather a little more forgiving than being fucked directly into the concrete.

The hand that had been keeping Cloud quiet loosened, Sephiroth sliding two fingers into Cloud's mouth instead. He shoved into Cloud from behind, and it took all of Cloud's self-control not to cry out.

He was in a perfect position to see them now, Sephiroth yanking his head back so he could watch. His teammates seemed to be deliberating, looking around. Looking for him.

They couldn't find him like this, choking back half-muffled moans as his enemy ravaged him, and so clearly enjoying it. His face was flushed, sides sweat-slick and heaving, a thin trailed of saliva drooling from the corner of his mouth. His cock was hard and aching between his legs, head beaded with precum.

For a moment, Barret stared straight at him, and Cloud's stomach twisted. But then he raised his arm and gestured for the others to move out.

The noise Cloud made was one of pure relief. He felt Sephiroth's teeth graze against the back of his neck, raising goosebumps all over him.

Sephiroth had slowed somewhat with the threat of discovery, taking Cloud with long, deep thrusts. Now the threat had passed, he showed no qualms in pounding into Cloud with everything he had.

Cloud was a fucking mess. Every thrust had him groaning and writhing, muscles clenching and trembling. His thoughts had been replaced with white noise, every burst of pleasure fanning the flame of his lust higher and higher until he was consumed with it.

"Please," he begged. He didn't even know what he was begging for, all he knew was that he needed it.

Sephiroth's hand on his cock was all it took to undo him. Cloud shuddered, dick twitching and spurting as orgasm crashed through him until he was dizzy and breathless. He couldn't move, he couldn't even feel his own body; all he could feel was the pleasure of the most intense release he'd ever experienced.

His was vaguely aware of Sephiroth stilling above him, fingers gripping even tighter into Cloud's flesh. He groaned as he came, the sound utterly animalistic, and Cloud moaned as well in response.

"Fuck," Cloud panted when it was finally over. Sephiroth slowly drew out of him, and Cloud collapsed onto his side. "Fuck," he repeated, dazed and shaky and so very, very satisfied.

"Mm," Sephiroth agreed. He laid down with slightly more grace, but not by much. It was clear that he was still trembling as well.

Sephiroth spooned behind Cloud, a possessive arm snaking around the blond's waist. He started to nibble at the back of Cloud's neck, but–

The two of them jerked away from each other in shock as the air split with the the roar of an explosion, It was distant through the thick concrete walls of the reactor but still damn loud enough. The building shook, metal screeching as it twisted out of place.

For a moment it felt like an earthquake, lights flickering and smoke billowing out the sides of the reactor door, and then everything went deathly silent again.

Cloud sat bolt upright, turning to stare wide-eyed at Sephiroth. He'd never seen the man look so shocked before, or so utterly chagrined. "…you were meant to stop that bomb, weren't you?"

"Yes," Sephiroth admitted gravely.

"You just let several million gil worth of ShinRa investment get blown up because you were too busy fucking me."

"I am aware."

"You are in so much shit."

"Thank you for informing me, Cloud."

Cloud laughed, rudely and uncontrollably. The moment he regained enough control to do so, he took Sephiroth's face between his hands and kissed him deeply. "We both really fucked up this mission, huh?"

Sephiroth's eyes were dark again as he drew back to look at Cloud. "Perhaps we should try meeting when we are not intended to be achieving other objectives."

That look send a thrill through Cloud, despite his body's recent use. Sephiroth wanted to meet again, and maybe it was only so they could try to kill each other and then fuck, but gods, Cloud would take everything he could get of that man. If he had been unable to stop thinking about him before, he had no chance now.

Sirens echoed in the distance, and Cloud heard the vague whine of a helicopter's blades somewhere above them. Sephiroth expression settled into a scowl. He shoved Cloud's limp form off of his coat, scooping it up and hastily rearranging his clothing. Either he didn't realise or did nothing to fix his sex-mussed hair. He also didn't seem to realise his coat had a fair amount of Cloud's semen on it.

Cloud made a noise of displeasure, a little disgruntled at having been pushed aside so callously. "Good luck explaining what happened to the ShinRa executives," he said sweetly.

Sephiroth gave Cloud a hard stare. "Next time I should just kill you."

"You should," Cloud agreed. And he should, he really should. But they both knew now that 'should' was something neither of them could comply with, even if they had wanted to.


End file.
